My dad ran heavy equipment when I was growing up. That would be in the 50's and 60's. (Yes, he was TOUGH. No cabs or heaters in those days). He ate a lot of Vienna sausage. Mom always sent a can in his lunch bucket.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

Faster horses wrote:My dad ran heavy equipment when I was growing up. That would be in the 50's and 60's. (Yes, he was TOUGH. No cabs or heaters in those days). He ate a lot of Vienna sausage. Mom always sent a can in his lunch bucket.

FH, do you still have that picture of your dad that you posted a few years ago? The one of him working in Alaska? That was a great shot, and you're right - the conditions he worked in meant he had to be plenty tough. Those tough old guys like your dad would think we're all a bunch of spoiled sissies now.

He said he was the first one to "punch a hole in that rock." Someone asked him, "weren't you scared?" Dad's answer was "If you were scared you shouldn't have been there." I don't think much in the way of operating machinery scared him. He truly was a bit of a legend.I did hear they named a falls in Alaska after him. Not sure that is true, but it was supposed to be.

I wish I could remember how long it took him to make the road from where he was to the creek way below. And I wish I had listened to more of his stories.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

Faster horses wrote:My dad ran heavy equipment when I was growing up. That would be in the 50's and 60's. (Yes, he was TOUGH. No cabs or heaters in those days). He ate a lot of Vienna sausage. Mom always sent a can in his lunch bucket.

I ran a lot of dozer with no cabs as well. Used to pack part of my lunch wrapped in tinfoil or canned and set it on the manifold for a period of time and have a nice hot lunch. Sometimes have a little fire and cook some smokies. No hotter machine than a D8K in the winter time, even 40 below. Fan on suck, I'd take my boots off but leave the felts on my feet so the pedals wouldn't burn my feet. Afraid to move my mouth for fear my lips would split. But they would anyway. If you turned the engine fan around you'd freeze to death in minutes so I'd take the heat!

He said he was the first one to "punch a hole in that rock." Someone asked him, "weren't you scared?" Dad's answer was "If you were scared you shouldn't have been there." I don't think much in the way of operating machinery scared him. He truly was a bit of a legend.I did hear they named a falls in Alaska after him. Not sure that is true, but it was supposed to be.

I wish I could remember how long it took him to make the road from where he was to the creek way below. And I wish I had listened to more of his stories.

He said he was the first one to "punch a hole in that rock." Someone asked him, "weren't you scared?" Dad's answer was "If you were scared you shouldn't have been there." I don't think much in the way of operating machinery scared him. He truly was a bit of a legend.I did hear they named a falls in Alaska after him. Not sure that is true, but it was supposed to be.

I wish I could remember how long it took him to make the road from where he was to the creek way below. And I wish I had listened to more of his stories.

That is a great pic.

Thank you. I treasure it. He was a master at his trade.After he retired different companies called him out to help with projects. He hated giving up operating, but his bodyhad taken quite a beating after years of running big equipment. He especially loved running D8's and doing blade work (road grader).Those were his specialty. He wouldn't run rubber-tired equipment. He could smooth out like glass just using his eye.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.